"Ancient women's makeup generally involved seven steps: applying lead powder, rouge... and finally, lipstick. This was considered the ultimate skill in makeup techniques. The Han Dynasty, on the other hand, valued naturalness, so they only applied a light touch."
Ji Nianqin was painting a pale woman who had fallen asleep from crying herself tired, and she kept spreading makeup tips to passers-by. She also learned from the prince to promote her shop, leaving the door wide open to welcome customers from all directions.
"I watched TV. The women in the harem of Emperor Wu of Han were quite distinctive."
"I see this is in a high-end villa area, so they must have used expensive imported spices, which have a strong aroma."
"I'm a man, can I buy it too?"
In an instant, the beauty salon became a place to sell cosmetics, and many shop owners on this street also came to join in the fun, wondering how many weird ideas this shop had.
"We only give away things here, we don't sell them. Gentlemen are welcome to come. You can go and see Mr. Tai next door. I shaved his hair myself."
"Oh my god, that's so ugly."
"So, please visit the shop across the street. There are many beauty salons and hair salons that are at the forefront of fashion. We often visit various places for inspection and regularly participate in training."
"Training? Where are you going for training? Next time, can you take me with you?"
As soon as Ji Nianqin said this, more than half of the customers left. They thought that Ji Nianqin was just fooling around and that only the shops across the street that constantly absorbed new information could give them the most fashionable hairstyles.
"Most men's products are free of red pigments and fragrances. The Tang and Song emperors even gave their officials anti-freeze lip and facial balms in the winter as a bonus... Hey, everyone, don't leave. I just got back from an out-of-town study tour. I'm the real deal, I just didn't attend the training. But we can innovate. If you don't believe me, go to the Taizong's room and see them putting hair under their hats. This way, many women can save themselves the hassle of wearing wigs."
"Oh my god, it's so ugly."
It would have been better if Ji Nianqin hadn't said anything. After she finished speaking, more people left, leaving only a few scattered potential customers. Ji Nianqin continued to talk desperately, but did not mention the prince at all. It was obvious with her toes that he must have ruined her business.
"Women also have a kind of rouge. The raw material is a flower called honglan. Its petals contain red and yellow pigments. When the flower blooms, the whole flower is picked and repeatedly pounded in a stone bowl. After the yellow juice is washed out, a bright red dye is produced."
"I like this rouge. I'd cut my hair to get this little bottle, but I don't want to be shaved bald like her, okay?"
"Of course, but I don't have any red and blue flower rouge today. Heavy crimson, pomegranate, mountain flower, or Su Fang wood will also work. Please wait a moment while I finish her white makeup and then I'll help you cut your hair."
"Can I do the styling for you? Even if I don't cut my hair, you can still give me a hairpin like yours. I find your family is very unique, different from other families. You seem to be very professional in making ancient costumes."
"Of course you can. In fact, the ancient aesthetic standards for women's facial features were roughly: thin, curved willow-shaped eyebrows, round almond-shaped eyes, a small cherry mouth, and a straight and small nose..."
"What time is it? You actually made me miss the time for crying out loud?"
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